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A DAY IN THE WOODS 



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THE PICNIC. 



— BY — 



ALICE E. 



TURTELLAH£-i; 






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HAYDEN PRINTING COMPANY 

San Francisco, Cal. 

1902. 



HE LIBRARY Ofl 
CONGRESS, 

Two Copies Reobveo 1 

JUN, 21 1902 

GOPVRIQHT ENTRY 

/ CLASS CCXXo. No. 
COPY B. 



Copyright, 1902 
All Rights Reserved. 



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PREFACE. 



This little story is not issued for the benefit 
of the millions of people whose mature minds 
guide them as to* their choice of literature ; it is 
for the little children to whose minds everything 
of a sunshine nature should be shown, and all 
things of a weird or gloomy, be eliminated. 

All impressions of good upon the minds of the 
young weave threads of gold which are remem- 
bered with increasing brightness and widen into 
broad and lasting bands as the years roll on. 

The true effect of these remembrances may 
not be noticed at the time, but, like the tiny 
seed, hidden for a while in the soil, springs forth 
and watered by the warm rains, and kissed by 
the sunshine, sends out its leaves, and amid 
them its bright buds and fragrant blossoms. 

If this little messenger brightens the path- 
way and makes one heart rejoice, the author 
will feel well repaid. 

Alice Turtellah. 



Dedicated 
To the Children. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 
The Preparation. 

CHAPTER II. 
Dick Glances Backwards. 

CHAPTER III. 
On the Picnic Ground. 

CHAPTER IV. 
A Lesson of Love. 

CHAPTER V. 
Faith Trusts in God. 




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THE PICNIC. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE PREPARATION. 

Yes, the Halstead family were making great 
preparations, for tomorrow the first picnic of the 
season was to be given in the little town of Benlah 
and as it had been the custom for years to hold 
a grand outing in this little village on the first 
of June, all had been looking forward to this 
event with a great deal of pleasure. 

There was one thing noticeable at these an- 
nual gatherings, that from the time one was 
spoken of there was never a fear expressed as to 
the weather or anything occurring which could 
possibly mar the day's enjoyment. Oh, what 
a glorious thought that is, that sweet assurance 
that all is to be well, not only on one particular 
day, but for all time — and why not all time, if 
it can be manifested for one day ? 

In the great kitchen of the Halstead home, 
(for there was a large family, which necessitated 
a big kitchen) all was life and bustle. Ma 



IO . . . 



Halstead was making light rolls, Aunt Bess 
was fixing fancy cookies, and baking pies, while 
John and Charley were filling the wood-box 
with stove wood and kindling. And what about 
the little folks ? Faith was getting her dolly 
read}^ to stay home, as she said to keep the kitty 
and bunny company. 

John came dancing in and throwing his cap 
in the air, shouted, " Hurrah ! Hurrah ! Uncle 
Dick is going to get a big foot ball for us boys 
and put up a swing for the girls. Hurrah ! " 

"Good morning, Mrs. Halstead, the girls are 
in the midst of their cake baking and we find 
ourselves short of eggs, our hens have not laid 
this morning, they don't seem to understand 
that we are in a hurry, today, so I told Jennie I 
would just run over and borrow a couple of my 
neighbor. Oh, there's Jennie, she is. calling me 
now, she says the hens have cackled and she 
guesses we will have enough. Good-by!" and 
happy bustling little Mrs. Cook bounced out of 
the back door as unceremoniously as she had 
entered it. 

" Mrs. Cook is always so jolly," said John. 
" I am glad she is going tomorrow, for she 
always looks out for us boys at luncheon." 



" Why, John, are you afraid you will not get 
enough to eat ? " asked Aunt Bess. " I think 
from the looks of that table over there, that 
there will not be a hungry person in this town 
for a month to come, saying nothing of the 
quantities of good things which all the families 
in Beulah are preparing for tomorrow." 

" Yes," says quiet, thoughtful Ruth, a girl of 
seventeen summers, who had been second mother 
to the other children from their birth, looking 
after them in their little trials of every-day life, 
as only a loving sister can. " Yes, the only 
trouble is, we think too much of our stomachs, 
we should spend our time at something more 
profitable." 

u There, now, sis, no more of that, you know 
you like good things as well as any of us. How 
about the box of candy Ned Black sneaked into 
your hand on your way from church, Sun- 
day, eh ? " 

" John, John," said Ma Halstead, " stop your 
teasing Sis and run over to Deacon Jones' and 
tell him not to forget to ask Chlo and Pete to be 
on hand early as I want them to help carry the 
baskets. You know Father has to go ahead 
to see that everything is in apple-pie order. 



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Father thinks he has to attend to everything 
himself. I tell him he is the most self-conceited 
man I ever saw. I don't know how we conld 
get along without Chlo and Pete. They are 
always so willing to help when needed." 

As Faith tucked her dolly in its little crib, a 
shadow fell across her lap, looking up, she saw 
little Doubt Roberts looking wishfully at the 
stacks of goodies which by this time were placed 
upon the spacious table. 

Doubt heaved a sigh and turning to Faith 
appealingly said, " Oh ! I wish I were going." 

" Why, aren't you, Doubt? " 

"No, I don't think so," replied she. 

" But why?" asks trusting Faith. The 
neighbors called her Sunshine, for she never 
doubted anything or anybody. 

" Oh, because," said Doubt. 

" But because is no reason; come now, tell 
me, truly, why is it you can't go." 

u I did not say I was not going, I only said, I 
don't think I can." 

"Is your Mama going ?" asked Ruth. "If 
not, I will look after you, if she will let you go." 

" No, my Ma is too poor, she says, to go to 
picnics." 



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" Too poor ! O, Doubt, you should never 
claim poverty, for the blessed Savior said God 
was no respecter of persons, and I have faith in 
all He tells us, so you see if I am rich enough 
to go to picnics, you are. There now, ask your 
Mama to let you go with us. I want you to go 
so much. Mama will give you all you can eat. 
Ruth will look after you with the rest of us 
children, won't you Ruthie ? I know Mama 
will let me loan you one of my white aprons if 
yours are dirty. Can't she have one of mine, 
Mama? 

" I think you have it all planned quite as well 
as it can be, so Doubt had better eat a little sup- 
per with us and then run home and make her 
arrangements, for you must go to bed early, so 
as to get a good night's sleep, you know you 
must be up with the birds in the morning." 

" I don't want to go to bed in the middle of 
the afternoon," said John, a I promised Ned 
Green to come out and play ball after supper. 
Charley promised too,didn't you, Chod? " 

" Yes, but I think I will go over to Deacon 
Jones' instead, and see if he has heard whether 
Chlo and Pete will be on hand in the morning, 
for if they can't come, it means work for us, and 



• > • JL Li. » • . 

I don't see how we are to get up that hill with 
all that load ; besides, Uncle Dick wants me to 
bring the rope for the swing." 

" Oh, you always have something to do so 
that you can't play with a fellow. Well, I don't 
care, tomorrow will soon be here. I guess we 
will have fun ! Then Hurrah ! " And bright, 
happy Jack — as the schoolboys all called him — 
went bounding off to inform Ned that Charley 
couldn't come, and that they were going to bed 
early. John disliked being sent to bed early, 
and had always fought against it since he could 
remember, so he lay great stress upon this 
statement. 

At last, all was quiet in the Halstead man- 
sion ; all had retired for the night and to sleep, 
save one pair of little eyes which would not stay 
closed ; across her tiny bed shone the pale rays 
of the new moon, and, as Faith watched through 
the window the bright and twinkling stars, her 
thoughts went out to the great loving Father 
— God — who never sleeps but is constantly 
watching over everyone. The thought of His 
being a cruel, relentless parent, who created man 
in His likeness and furnished every good thing 
in the world for His children (for Faith was a 



. . * X "N • • » 

good Bible student, although but a child in 
years) was as far from her belief as the sun is 
from darkness. Then little Doubt came into 
her thoughts, and, for a moment, she seemed 
puzzled as to why she had everything so nice 
and plentiful, while, not only Doubt, but many, 
many others, were seemingly in such need. But 
her thought did not dwell long on this problem, 
for of one thing she was quite confident, that 
God was not to blame for it. No, not in the 
least, it must be laid to something else, so with 
the sweet assurance that God was able to meet 
everybody's need if they would only let him, 
the little blue eyes closed in sweet childish sleep. 
Save Jesus' admonition, " except we become 
more as a little child, we cannot enter Heaven" 
(Harmony) is a lesson we all might profit by if 
we only had the simple faith and trustfulness 
of the little ones. 




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CHAPTER II. 

DICK GLANCES BACKWARD. 

Uncle Dick made his home at the Halstead 
mansion. He claimed that somehow their fire- 
place was the cheeriest, their table most bounti- 
fully spread, and he felt he was not robbing any- 
one by eating all he wanted, and the little room 
over the kitchen, where the sun greeted him 
upon its first appearance over the top of the 
hill, made his home so bright that he said he 
would not exchange for the King's palace. 
Upon this beautiful morning he was up before 
the sun, and, after descending to the kitchen, he 
built the fire and put the big brass teakettle on 
to boil, he then stood upon the back steps, one 
hand patting the curly head of Fido (for all 
animals loved Dick) while with the other he 



gently brushed the soft brown hair off his fore- 
head. This Dick always did when he was in 
deep thought. This morning, he was thinking 
of a day, many years gone by, when he was one 
of a happy gathering of young people on the 
village green, and of a bright-eyed, rosy-cheeked 
girl, who was considered the belle of beauty 
there, and some of the boys had tried to win her 
from Richard Hughes. On this day she, with 
many others, spread a snowy white tablecloth on 
the grass and helped to unload the well-filled bas- 
kets of good things prepared for the occasion, 
but as they were enjoying themselves eating 
and chatting, they did not perceive a cloud had 
overcast the sun, until great drops of rain com- 
menced falling. Oh ! such a scramble ! It 
seemed to Dick that no hand was so quick as 
Elsie's to catch up one corner of the tablecloth, 
and, with a peal of laughter (which he imagined 
he could hear now) she called on him to hurry 
and help pull it with its contents under the pro- 
tecting branches of a wide spreading beechnut 
tree close at hand. How after the shower they 
resumed eating, and when the feast ended, he 
and Elsie wandered away ftoin the rest of the 
folks (for the sun was again shining) and he 



• • • JL (_J • • » 

had found courage to ask her to share his lot in 
life ; and placing her little white hand in his, 
gave her promise to be true to his honest love, 
for it was all he had to offer. This was a bright 
spot in Dick's life, and he often loved to look 
back upon it. But as days, weeks* and months 
passed and Spring with its beauty again crept 
over the earth, Dick felt it was time to take his 
promised bride to his little cottage, which he 
had been preparing all these months, But all 
these foolish hopes and ambitions were in vain, 
for months before Elsie had gone to visit a 
wealthy aunt in the city of Auborn, and while 
there met one who had turned her foolish little 
head with his promises of wealth, fine clothes 
and jewels. 

Well, it is the old, old story, she married him. 
Dick with sad heart and bowed head, sold his 
little cottage, and in trying to forget he ever 
was disappointed, became the friend of ever}' 
man, woman and child in Beulah. 

" Hey, there, Dick Hughes, wake up, why 
you should be ashamed of yourself, sighing over 
spilled milk," thus taking himself to task, he 
turned, and mounting the stairs, shouted, 
" Come, boys ! Come, girls I the sun is peeping 



• » • _L "J • • • 

in at your windows. Have you forgotten this 
is the great day of the year? Come, hurry up, 
the teakettle is boiling and while you are help- 
ing to put up lunches, and cook breakfast, I will 
step over to the neighbors and see if they are 
up. You know we want to get an early start." 

" Uncle Dick," called Faith, " would you mind 
calling at Mrs. Roberts' and see if Doubt is go- 
ing ; and tell her to come over early if she i s 
and be sure to come. Her Mama must let her 
go, and, Uncle Dick, there are the Clark chil- 
dren, I wonder if they are going." 

" Yes, yes, Kitten, I will see to all of them, 
so hurry up," 

At last all is in readiness. Faith, in her 
clean starched pink gingham dress, white apron 
and sunbonnet, looked the picture of purity and 
sweetness as her laughing eyes examined Doubt 
whostood before her dressed in one of her, Faith's, 
clean white aprons (which came nearly to her 
little feet and almost covered the little patched 
shoes and darned stockings) for Doubt was a 
little ashamed of her old shoes and stockings 
and was trying to hide them. 

u Doubt, don't you be ashamed," said Ruth, 



t t t jig \J • • • 

" for no one will notice your feet when you are 
running in the grass." 

u And I would not be surprised if half the 
children will be barefooted before the day is 
over, for it is going to be a scorcher," said Pa 
Halstead, who came in wiping the perspiration 
from his forehead, and caught the last remarks 
of Ruth. 

Ci Well, come on, come on," called Jack from 
the yard, " everybody is going. I just saw Mr. 
Allen's family go past, they had a wagon load ; 
guess they had to get up early, for they have 
come twelve miles. Ned Black was with them, 
so hurry up, Sis, I know this will spur you on." 

i( Mother, I wish you would make John stop 
his foolishness," pleaded Faith. " I know Ruthy 
does not care a straw for Ned, do you ? " 

It doesn't bother me," said Ruth, u for I know 
Jack does not mean half he says." 

" I think you are rather good-natured, Ruth,'' 
said Aunt Bess, " for my part it would plague 
me dreadfully to be teased after that fashion." 
Aunt Bess had never married, she, like Uncle 
Dick, had a history but kept it well to herself, 
no one guessing what it was except Ma Hal- 
stead, and she, respecting her sister's secret, 



• * • £ X • • 



never allowed any of the children to mention 
the subject to her. So, as years passed by, she 
was the same dear Aunt Bess, always solicitous 
for everybody's comfort, with seldom a look, ex- 
cept the sweet, gentle expression of patience 
and love. Not only the family, but all who 
knew her, felt the influence of, and, as Uncle 
Dick expressed it, felt a newness of life, having 
been in her presence even for a little while. 



4e 



CHAPTER III. 

ON THE PICNIC GROUND. 

14 Here we are, hurrah ! " cried a dozen boys, 
almost in one breath, as one after another had 
climbed the steep grade and stood upon the top 
of the ridge. 

" Just look at the trees and grass, say nothing 
of the wild flowers, it would seem that a grand 
preparation had been going on in the woods for 
our especial benefit, " said Pa Halstead. 

" Yes, it seems as though the hills and val- 
leys had put on their best dress of green," said 
Grace Elliott, a girl of surpassing loveliness of 
character. u I see in the modest little flowers a 
coloring which tells me they were expecting 
company. I wish we could walk around each 
one of them and not trample them down, as 
those boys are doing over there running after 
their football." 

i( What do the trees suggest to you, Gracie ? " 

u Yes, yes," said half a dozen voices, " tell us 
your thoughts of the trees." 

" Only this," replied Grace, " they speak of 
Nature's great care and protection and on this 



occasion, they stand stately and grand, dressed 
in thick foliage, no two leaves will be found 
wearing the same shade of green, and the 
branches, waving in the breeze, seem to say : 
( We welcome you all, rest beneath our shade 
and we will protect you from the rays of the 
midday sun, while perched within our branches 
are many beautiful birds, which will furnish you 
with angels' songs, while you are at luncheon.' " 

" Good ! You should write a book on Nature* 
Gracie, I think you might take the premium at 
our County Fair," said Jack, who had joined the 
group in time to hear the finishing. li But, say, 
I'm hungry, can't we boys have a cooky, Ruth ? '' 

" Yes, there, take them, and here is a sand- 
wich apiece, now be off with you, no more until 
we call you to lunch, remember." 

"Yes, I know; here boys, come get your 
rations and make much of it. Dear me, it just 
gives a fellow an appetite for more. Throw the 
ball over here. Hurrah ! " shouted John. 

And where are the little girls all this time ? 
Oh, I see, Uncle Dick has a swing ready and a 
dozen little tots are waiting their turn for a " to 
and fro," as he calls it. Dear Uncle Dick, he 
is as much the children's friend as he is of the 
papas and mamas. 



CHAPTER IV. 

A LESSOR IN LOVE. 

What, noon, already ? For Ma Halstead, 
with several other ladies had been making lem- 
onade and boiling the kettle for tea, for there 
were some of the elder members, even if it were 
ioo degrees in the shade, who must have their 
tea, and everyone wanted their friends to be sat- 
isfied. So a fire was kindled in an old stnmp 
and the kettle boiled. While one was attending 
to this, others were bnsy spreading the table- 
cloths, it took several of them to make a table 
long enough for this crowd, for to have to sit at 
different tables would have taken away half the 
day's pleasure. Now for the baskets. Oh ! 
such a feast as presented itself, as basket after 
basket was unloaded and distributed over the 
snowy linen — pies, cakes of all kinds, sand- 
wiches, cold meats, fried chicken, pickles (both 
sweet and sour), jellies, cheese and canned fruits. 
It was a spread that any king might have been 
invited to partake of. They did not wait for 
kings or queens, however, for when Pa Halstead 
gave a blast from one of the farmer's dinner 



horns, the picknickers all came flocking in, like 
so many chickens when you throw out a handful 
of corn. All are in their respective places at 
last ; and it is needless to say none arose from 
that table hungry, not even the boys, who, as 
one of them said, " could eat everything in 
sights 

A cry from Doubt, " a bee has stung me ! " 
drew the attention of all toward her. 

Quickly Faith took her by the hand and led 
her away, saying : " I will attend to Doubt ; 
you finish your luncheon." Over a little knoll 
the two children found themselves alone and 
hidden from the rest. 

Now, Doubt, sit right here by me and we will 
soon see smiles in place of tears, put your little 
hand between my two, this is to keep you from 
looking at it," said Faith. 

" Oh ! But it hurts, it hurts ! " cried Doubt. 

" Well, just listen to me for a moment and 
you will forget all about it. Now, then, did you 
ever think that your Mama would put something 
in your way that she knew would hurt you and 
give you pain ? 

" No, my Mama would not do such a thing, " 
said Doubt. 



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u Why, of course she would not. Well, the 
Bible teaches us that God is more merciful than 
our earthly parents. Don't you remember our 
teacher reading that last Sunday in our Sunday 
School lesson ? " 

" Yes, but what made God let the bee sting 
me ? " 

" God did not let it sting you, Doubt. If you 
remember, when the little bee came near you 
(only to get a taste of the cake you held in your 
hand) you got frightened and commenced to 
strike at it. It was trying to defend itself in 
the only way it knew how. Had you been 
patient and laid down your piece of cake, it 
would not have struck back at you. Now, you 
see, God did not cause the bee to sting you, it 
was your fear of it. Now, God is Love and 
Saint John says ' perfect love casts out fear,' 
but how is your hand, does it hurt you, now?" 

" Why, no ! Just look, it is not even red or 
swollen as it was, and, say, Faith, I wonder 
where the stinger is. You know a bee always 
leaves its stinger when it stings anyone and we 
always have to pull it out before the place gets 
well. I don't understand this at all, for I don't 
even see the spot where I was stung." 



28 



• • • 



" Never mind, dear, it was God's love that 
destroyed your fear, that's all there is to it. So 
now, as you are all right, we shall go back and 
let them see you smiling again." So back they 
scampered and found that ail had finished eat- 
ing and everything was gathered up and put in 
the baskets for a later snack, as Pa Halstead 
called it ; all save a plate with a goodly supply 
which was left for the children by thoughtful 
Ruth who knew they had not finished eating 
when that busy bee interfered. 

" How is your hand ? " asked Ruth. 

" Oh, it is all right, just look, Faith made it 
well." 

"I declare it is wonderful how that child 
helps people," said Uncle Dick. " I only had 
to say to her the other day that I wished I knew 
a cure for these headaches I have so often, she 
said something about God being able to cure 
me when almost immediately I was well. Well, 
she is an angel, only lacks the wings, that's all." 



CHAPTER V. 

FAITH TRUSTS IN GOD. 

As the elder people sat in groups here and 
there, talking and exchanging ideas of garden- 
ing, butter-making, preserving, etc., the young 
folks wandered away in different directions, some 
in search of wild flowers, others sitting on the 
velvety grass in some quiet nook, or wandering 
along intent on the subject nearest their hearts. 
A little love thought, exchanged now and then, 
perhaps, but we will not intrude on their pri- 
vacy. We will follow Faith and Doubt, who 
have strayed away from the rest, being attracted 
by two beautiful butterflies, and, as they fol- 
lowed them from flower to flower, and bush to 
bush, they talked and wondered where the home 
of these little butterflies was, and if they could 
think and talk to each other as people could. 
So interested and happy were the children, they 
did not notice that they had wandered away 
from their friends, not being able to even hear 
their voices. 

Doubt began to cry and ask, " Oh ! what will 
become of us ? " 



0L f 




BEING ATTRACTED BY TWO BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES. 



" There, there, " said dear, brave little Faith, 
" don't be afraid, see, I will put my arm around 
you, and we will just think it is the arm of God, 
for you know He says in the Bible, that ' His 
everlasting arms are around us.' There, dear, 
you are not afraid now, are you ?." 

tl Oh ! no, but how will we get back ? " 

" Well, we will turn and go in this direction. 
If you remember, we crossed a little creek, which 
was all dried up, so we will be sure to know 
where we are, when we get to it." 

" Oh ! I do wish we had not left the rest," 
cried Doubt. 

" Well, as we have done so, we must trust 
God to lead us back to our friends. I don't feel 
a bit afraid. Here we are, all right, for I see 
the bank of the creek ahead of us.'' What a 
surprise, though, instead of a dry creek they 
found the water rippling and splashing over its 
pebbly bed. They had walked quite a distance 
up the stream, and could see no way but to cross 
on the rocks which seemed to say, " Step on us, 
we will keep your feet from getting wet, and 
will serve as a bridge." 

"Come, Doubt, let us be brave and get on the 
other side of the creek," 



Poor little Doubt, she could not keep back the 
tears, for although she had great confidence in 
Faith, yet the water looked cold and the rocks 
slippery. 

" I tell you what we will do," said plucky 
Faith. " You know the day is hot, and should 
we get our feet wet we will be glad and say it 
is refreshing and we will name the stones upon 
which we step and then, as we touch each one of 
thein, they will be as guides to our feet. Isn't 
that all right, Doubty ? " 

" Yes, but what will we call them ? " 
"Well, I can count seven stones, I think we 
can step easily from one to the other, now, let's 
call the first one, He, second, God, third, keeps, 
fourth, our, fifth, feet, sixth, from, seventh, 
slipping.''. 

81 Oh ! That is lovely, I feel all right now, so 
you start, Faith, and I will take hold of your 
apron strings and follow." 

Very soon the children were safe on the other 
side, a little bank had to be climbed, and when 
Faith, who had taken the lead, reached its top, 
imagine her surprise and joy to see her two 
brothers with several of the other boys coming 




LofC. 



34 



• •• "N LL. t « e 



towards them. They had been missed and the 
boys had started to find them. 

"Come, hurry," called Jack. " Where have 
you girls been ? We are getting ready to go 
home. I say, Faith, where have you been? 
We have been looking for you an awfully long 
time.' 7 

" Oh, pshaw," said Charley Harris, Jack's 
bosom friend, "no such thing, we just started 
about ten minutes ago." 

" Well, that's a long time when a fellow is 
having lots of fun and the day is nearly over, 
and not another such a day for a whole year." 

" You forget the fun we have in the winter 
coasting down the hill with the white fleecy 
snow flying all around us," don't you? " said 
Faith. 

"Well, that is fun, too," said Jack. "Oh, 
what glorious times we have here in Beulah. 
I often wonder if all towns have as good, jolly 
people as ours has. I am going to travel when 
I get to be a man, and then I will write a book, 
so everybody in one town will know what every- 
body is doing in the other towns." 

" Oh, Jack, will you really do this ? " said 
Faith. 



35 



• •• > ^ » • • 



a Yes, of course I will, maybe. " 

As tlie children talked and laughed, and 
chased each other, they were soon in sight of 
the crowd. 

" Here they come ! Here they come ! " shouted 
half-dozen voices. " Where have you been ? 
We heve been looking everywhere for you. " 

" Never mind where they have been," said 
John, " now that the lost is found, let's have 
one more jolly time with the football. Be 
quick, there, catch it, Charley! Hurry up, 
kick it back to me. Pa is trying to get the 
crowd started for home. Oh, I wish we could 
come again tomorrow." 

a Come, boys," called Uncle Dick, "time to go 
home now. Be careful there, that ball is a 
bouncer, and may take some of the little tots off 
their feet, should it land in their midst." 

u It seems almost impossible to get all hands 
together," said Pa Halstead. " Wait until I 
give a blast from the dinner horn, that will 
bring them. Didn't I tell you ? Just see them 
flocking in. There is something in the music 
of that old horn that brings all to its call, no 
matter whether it summons everyone to eat or 
to bring them together for any other purpose." 



• . • r)^ • • • 

As all took their different paths leading to 
their home, shouts of " Good-bye ! " Good-bye! " 
rang out on the evening breeze, for these happy 
folks never went home from their day's pleasure 
tired or cross. Oh, dear, no ; even the babies 
clapped their tiny hands and seemed to say : 
" I was glad to go, and am happy to be home 
again." 

All is quiet in the Halstead home ; and, as 
on the night before, the moon, brighter for be- 
ing a little older, kissed the rosy cheek of little 
Faith, as she fell asleep breathing her evening 
prayer. Here we will leave her, guarded as 
she always says she is " by the Angel of Love." 




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